


faulty antenna

by fourshoesfrank



Category: Doctor Who
Genre: Autistic Doctor (Doctor Who), Gen, Misgendering, Nonbinary Doctor (Doctor Who), Other, Pronouns, genderfluidity, listen i'm listerally in love w her, tardis said it's my turn on the pronouns
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-08
Updated: 2020-10-08
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:54:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 791
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26896279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fourshoesfrank/pseuds/fourshoesfrank
Summary: literally what's the point of going to a planet full of telepaths if said telepaths just misgender you the whole time
Relationships: Ninth Doctor & Jack Harkness, Ninth Doctor & Jack Harkness & Rose Tyler, Ninth Doctor/Jack Harkness
Comments: 12
Kudos: 57





	faulty antenna

**Author's Note:**

> she/they doctor is POGGERS thanks jon

“We’re gonna be late!” Jack shouted from the console room. The sound should have been distorted from traveling down so many twisting corridors by the time it reached the Doctor's ears, but she heard it loud and clear. She also heard the tension in Jack's voice, the silent  _again_ that he would never say aloud but was always thinking.

No, no. That was rude. He wasn't tense because of her. Jack was just nervous. Definitely, only nervous. That made more sense, anyway; they'd landed on a resort planet a few days ago and Jack had been insistent that he get a chance to sample the whiskey this world was known for. Apparently, a shortage of it had once started several small-scale wars in neighboring systems.

So the Doctor had made a dinner reservation for the two of them, and Rose had made her own plans for the coming evening (sunbathing, probably, just relaxing on the beach; very Rose), and that was that. That was fine.

Only it wasn't. The three of them still had a few hours to kill before suppertime came, and they'd decided to spend this time exploring the place. Just wandering around, dipping their toes into the culture, getting the lay of the land. It should've been routine, just like every other seemingly  _safe_ planet they'd landed on.

Oh, this planet was safe in the sense that no extraterrestrials were controlling the oligarchy or harvesting the populace for food or draining the system's sun for fuel, but it wasn't  _safe._ At least, not for the Doctor.

"Doctor, we're gonna be late!" Jack shouted again. The Doctor heard Jack's rubber-soled footsteps in the hallway, and then she heard the door swing open behind her. She turned around and saw Jack standing in the doorway, dressed to the nines, looking incredibly confused. He had a right to be confused, since the Doctor was still in her jacket and jeans, shoes off, just standing in the middle of the room.

"Doc? Come on, the reservation's in fifteen minutes. What're you doing?" What was she doing? What a good question, honestly.

The Doctor sighed. "Jack. Do you know what this planet is famous for?"

"What, the whiskey?" Jack asked, furrowing his brow in thought. The Doctor shook her head, and Jack's frown deepened. "Weather?" he guessed. The Doctor shook her head again.

"Telepathy. Part of basic training for the service industry here is learning how to pick up on what the guests want, what they need, how they're feeling," she explained.

Jack nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, that must be how they knew what kind color necklace Rose wanted at that kiosk on the pier," he noted. The Doctor nodded in agreement.

"Exactly. So, they're obviously able to pick up on our thoughts; I was worried that the TARDIS' telepathic field would disrupt the workers' abilities, but you and Rose seem fine. They're responding to _your_ wants and needs perfectly."

"Okay.... So, why aren't you dressed?"

The Doctor threw her hands up in frustration and shouted, "Because they're ignoring me!" She took a deep breath, settled her voice, and continued, "I've been broadcasting all day that I'm not a man, I don't want to be called... manly words, and even if it's hard for them to think of feminine alternatives I'll be perfectly happy with just neutral language. I've had that going all day. All day! And it's still just  _he_ and  _sir_ and  _gentleman_ and  _mister_ —"

"Alright," Jack interrupted, his expression having changed from confusion to anger, but not at her. "Alright," he repeated. "Hell, I wasn't that stoked about sitting with a stick up my ass tasting whiskey in those little cups all night anyway."

The Doctor exhaled a shaky laugh at that quip, even though she knew it was only partly true. Jack hadn't liked the idea of acting 'fancy' (in his own words), but he had been excited to dress up and have a nice evening. And she'd gone and ruined it with her– No. She hadn't ruined it, the Doctor firmly told herself. Jack would say the same.

"So," Jack mused as he fiddled with the buttons on his sleeves, "What now?"

"Cancel the reservation," the Doctor immediately replied. "Tell them... Tell them our ship's in need of repairs. Ask 'em to send over the whiskey later, or don't. Doesn't matter. You could steal it, for all I care."

Jack grinned at her. "Don't give me any ideas, ma'am," he warned. His eyes gave him away, though; he absolutely intended to follow through on that.

"Conspiring to commit crimes inside a police box," the Doctor said. "Oh, the irony."

"Fine, no crimes. Let's go someplace inside the TARDIS, then," Jack suggested. "I think you still owe me a dance."

**Author's Note:**

> transfem siblings i love u fellas -ur transmasc brother 
> 
> -
> 
> kudos and comments would be poggers tbh


End file.
